Heritage Round (AFL)

Heritage Round was an annual round of matches in the Australian Football League in which all the teams wore throwback guernseys from the past. The first Heritage Round was in 2003 and the last was in 2007.

Throwback uniforms continue to be worn by clubs on special occasions, but there is no longer a round specifically themed in this manner.

Origin
The concept of the Heritage Round originated from the Centenary Celebration Round, which took place in 1996, the centenary year of the VFL/AFL.

1996 Centenary Round
In recognition of the VFL/AFL reaching its 100th season the eight original teams of the VFL played each other in round 7, 100 years after the first round of matches in the inaugural season.

2003 Heritage Round
The first Heritage Round in 2003 saw heritage guernseys worn by all teams except two. It was seen in a very positive and nostalgic light, especially as wore the 1968 to 1973 Fitzroy guernsey which was maroon and navy blue as worn during the days of black and white television. wore their 1933 to 1986 guernsey, worn during their time when based in South Melbourne.

's guernsey got such a positive reaction that it became their clash Guernsey from 2004 until 2006.

wore its SANFL Magpies "Prison Bar" guernsey from 1914 when the club defeat to win the 1914 Championship of Australia.

2004 Heritage Round
The second Heritage Round in 2004 saw all 16 clubs wear a heritage guernsey. It was also the first year which the field and goal Umpires wore uniforms from the past as well. All the umpires wore white uniforms (the traditional colour the umpires wore before changing to coloured uniforms) and the goal umpires wore their traditional long coats and White brimmed hats.

chose to wear the Brisbane Bears guernsey worn from 1992 until 1996, wore wore a replica of their 1987 gold and blue guernsey and  wore a manufactured guernsey based on a 1991 original with the SANFL logo on the back and AFC monogram on the front. wore a magenta and blue guernsey based on their original guernsey from 1877 to 1901, prior to its famous black and white "Prison Bar" guernsey.

2005 Heritage Round
The third Heritage Round was held in 2005. The field umpires wore replica uniforms from an old fashioned period (with colours brought back) that were impractical in modern day.

wore a guernsey worn during the First World War in which white was replaced with gold so they were not to be seen as a supporter of Germany. 's guernsey was not brown and gold, but red, white, and blue from its 1902 guernsey worn when they were a junior club. wore a 1930s South Australia state guernsey with an AFC insignia replacing SA, where Port Adelaide Football Club wore a white guernsey with light blue hoops based on their first guernsey in the SANFL.

2006 Heritage Round
The fourth Heritage Round in 2006 was themed around football in the 1980s. This achieved very heavy media coverage, with both The AFL Footy Show and Before the Game taking on 1980s themes and both dressing up in clothes from the 1980s. The AFL even release a compilation CD of songs recorded during the 1980s.

wore the 1987 to 1990 Brisbane Bears away/clash guernsey, a variant of its original gold and cerise Brisbane Bears guernsey. , who were non-existent in the 1980s, wore a modified home guernsey, including a monogrammed crest featuring all the colours of all the teams in the SANFL from the 1980s. wore a guernsey with red and royal blue instead of its red and navy blue it used prior to 1974 with the introduction of colour TV. wore yellow shorts from the 1980s with their 1980s guernsey with printed laces. wore red shorts as they did in the 1980s when they played. wore a replica of their 1988 to 1994 blue and gold guernsey

The AFL prevented from wearing their 1980s SANFL guernsey.

2007 Heritage Round
The fifth Heritage Round in 2007 was based on Football in the 1970s. It took place in July from the 7th to the 9th. Once again it generated media coverage both in News broadcasts and both The Footy Show and Before the Game holding 1970s themed shows.

As were not established in the 1970s they chose to wear the original Western Australia guernsey from the first State of Origin game played against Victoria. They lost to who wore the red and blue  guernsey worn from 1975 to 1978. wore the same guernsey as what was worn in the 2006 Heritage Round in its defeat against Hawthorn. 's application to the AFL for its 1970s black and white "Prison Bar" was rejected at first, but an agreement was later reached with and the AFL for Port Adelaide to wear the guernsey this year but with conditions for further heritage rounds. They lost to the who wore an original Footscray guernsey with red shorts. As and  were both still wearing guernseys with no major change from what was worn in the 1970s, Essendon once again wore red shorts and Richmond wore yellow shorts in their respective matches.

There were two teams that did not wear a heritage guernsey;, who instead wore their white clash guernsey, and.

Other teams to not wear a heritage guernsey due to extreme similarities to current day versions included, (whose monogram was the current version and not the one worn from 1933 to 1997), and.

opted to wear a historical East Fremantle guernsey as they were playing the that round; resulting in the teams taking the field in uniforms almost identical to those of the 1979 WAFL Grand Final- the Fremantle Derby Grand Final between East Fremantle and South Fremantle.

Controversy
is the only pre-existing non-Victorian AFL club having joined the national competition in 1997 after having played in the SANFL since 1877. Before joining the AFL Port Adelaide used a Magpie moniker and wore a black and white guernsey with six vertical stripes and one horizontal stripe. This guernsey is similar to which wears a black and white guernsey with three stripes of black and white and has been a part of the VFL/AFL since 1897. When Port Adelaide joined the AFL they adopted a new moniker, Power and added two new colours to their palette, teal and silver. During the 2006 Heritage Round which adopted a 1980s theme Port Adelaide was prevented by the AFL from taking part. During the 1980s Port Adelaide won four SANFL premierships (1980, 1981, 1988, 1989) wearing it's Prison Bar' guernsey. The following year Port Adelaide, Collingwood and the AFL came to an agreement that Port Adelaide would be able to use their 'Prison Bar' guernsey in future Heritage Rounds. However, after this agreement was reached the AFL ceased sanctioning official Heritage Rounds. In 2021 Eddie McGuire noted that he knew at the time of signing the agreement with Port Adelaide that Heritage Rounds would ceased to be officially sanctioned by the AFL in the future.